For centuries, grains have been grown and harvested as one of the most basic food staples. Grains including corn, wheat, durum, rye, oats and others are traditionally ground into flour for use as the main building block for making a variety of baked goods, including breads, pastas, tortillas and dessert items.
Regardless of the grain type, the individual grain kernels comprise a fibrous exterior shell referred to as bran, an interior starch portion called the endosperm, and a nutrient-rich core called the germ. During milling of the grain kernels, processes can be used to separate and remove the bran and germ from the endosperm resulting in a refined grain that is almost pure starch. While refined grains have advantages such as appearance and consistency, health studies have suggested that diets high in starches, like those from refined grains, play a role in certain unhealthy conditions, such as, obesity, heart disease and diabetes among others. Conversely, many of these same studies have indicated that the use of whole grains or grains that contain the entire kernel, including the bran, endosperm and germ, promote certain health advantages.
One reason suggested for the health advantages associated with whole grains is that the bran and germ are both nutrient-rich portions of the grain kernel and include concentrated portions of essential vitamins and nutrients. Further, the fibrous make-up of bran provides an excellent source of dietary fiber. Studies have shown that diets rich in whole grains can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Furthermore, other studies have suggested that individuals who consume whole grains tend to eat less, and as a consequence, may weigh less or lose weight.
While the use of whole grains in baking provides numerous health benefits, the use of whole grains can lead to a significant difference in appearance compared to traditional white breads made with refined wheat. In particular, the use of whole grains in baking products can result in visual particulate matter that is visible and distinguishable in the final baked product due to color and size differences between the bran, endosperm and germ. To the consumer, the presence of visual particulate matter and color differences may be less preferred than, for example, refined, white-style bread, which tends to have very uniform color and generally no visible particulates.
Due to the specific health benefits associated with bran consumption, it may be desired to provide a bran fortified whole grain for use in preparing whole grain products. However, bran generally makes up the majority of the visual particulate matter in whole grains, such that, a bran fortified whole grain can have significantly larger amounts of visible particulate matter making the bran fortified whole grain visually less preferred than a non-fortified whole grain.